The Knicks open the season at Boston on Tuesday, and the Nets’ opener is in Atlanta on Wednesday. So we think it’s a good time to compile a list of 10 of the most important NBA (or NBA adjacent) figures for both New York teams this year.
Our list is below, in no particular order:
1. JALEN BRUNSON
More than anyone else, Brunson is responsible for the Knicks’ resurgence. With Brunson at the helm, New York reached the second round of the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in more than two decades.
Given where this franchise has been over the past 20 years, two straight trips to the second round is quite an accomplishment. But the bar is raised now, and no one will be celebrating if this Knicks season ends in the second round.
After trading for Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns and re-signing OG Anunoby, the Knicks are all in on trying to win a title. It’s obvious to say Brunson will be a big factor in whether they get there or not.
He averaged 28.7 points, 6.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds per game last season. He shot 40 percent from beyond the arc and made All-NBA second team. Brunson should also have more room to operate this season with Towns on the floor.
If everyone’s healthy, this Knicks team is good enough to be playing in June. To get there, some players will need to sacrifice individual numbers for the greater good. Some won’t get as many shots as they’re accustomed to. Others may play fewer minutes than they expect.
Will they be able to accept this reality for the next six-plus months? Or will they fight against it?
This, to me, is where Brunson’s off-court presence is so important.
By all accounts, the first-year team captain is a unifier, someone who brings people together. There will be times this year when the Knicks rely on those traits of Brunson’s just as much as they rely on his scoring.
2. TOM THIBODEAU
Thibodeau has established himself as the best Knicks head coach since Jeff Van Gundy. The Knicks have overachieved in three of his four seasons on the bench. Thibodeau has had the Knicks near the top of the league in both offense and defense at different points of his tenure. He kept a team without Anunoby and Julius Randle last season humming along.
All noteworthy accomplishments. But they won’t shield Thibodeau from the second-guessing and criticism that comes with coaching in New York. Thibodeau’s lineups, substitutions, timeouts, coach’s challenges and every other decision he makes this season will be scrutinized.
3. KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
Towns’ play will be a significant factor in the Knicks’ success this season. The preseason was promising, as Towns scored on the perimeter and off the dribble, and he helped spread the floor.
If those trends continue in the regular season and into June, Towns will be treated like a folk hero. If he and the team struggle – particularly early in the season – fans and analysts will start to second guess the trade. As you’ve seen in the past, things can go sideways quickly around here when that happens.
4. LEON ROSE AND THE KNICKS’ FRONT OFFICE
The Knicks front office received praise for how deftly they handled the Towns trade — rightfully so. It was a complex trade executed incredibly well by New York, but their work is not done.
The roster is thin in some places. Backup center may be a weak spot. They lost a lot of rebounding when Isaiah Hartenstein and Randle left and Mitchell Robinson went down with a foot injury.
The Knicks’ team salary is very close to the second apron ($188.9 million). They cannot exceed that apron this season, so they will need to remain creative if they want to add players via trade.
5. CASEY SMITH AND THE MEDICAL/TRAINING STAFF
Casey Smith comes to New York from Dallas with a stellar reputation. People in the organization were thrilled to bring him on board, and his group should be busy this season.
How do you manage Anunoby so he’s at his best in May and June? Can you help Towns avoid injury? How can you help Brunson hold up over six-plus months of basketball?
These are just a few of the issues that Smith & Co. will face this season.
6. DONTE DIVINCENZO
You can put Randle in here, too. I assume plenty of Knicks fans will be keeping a close eye on DiVincenzo and Randle in Minnesota. It’s logical to assume that DiVincenzo and Randle will both put up numbers with the Timberwolves.
Can they elevate Anthony Edwards & Co.? Can they help Minnesota on another deep playoff run? Or do the new-look Timberwolves take a step back? Whatever happens up north, it will impact how you view the Towns trade.
7. SEAN MARKS
The Nets GM has the runway to do another rebuild in Brooklyn. By all accounts, he’s hired a great young coach in Jordi Fernandez. If it all goes well for the Nets, Fernandez will help build a winning culture from the ground up where the players can come and go but the standards are unchanged. That didn’t happen during the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving era. Marks acknowledged that the culture established pre-2019 took a hit during the stars’ tenure.
Also on Marks’ plate for this season? Extracting value from some of the Nets’ veterans at the trade deadline. What can Dennis Schroeder command on the trade market? Dorian Finney-Smith? Could Cam Johnson bring back a good return? If Ben Simmons remains healthy and helps the Nets on the floor, maybe Marks can get a second round pick or two for him?
No matter how it shakes out, the weeks leading up to the deadline will probably be a busy time for Brooklyn.
8. COOPER FLAGG
Speaking of Brooklyn, it seems like the Nets are among a few teams looking to Waive the White Flagg this season. Maybe they will become a Disgrace for Ace and take Rutgers’ Ace Bailey in June’s NBA Draft?
I’m not suggesting the Nets – or any other franchise – would intentionally lose games, but it’s in Brooklyn’s best interest to be bad this season.
Through the Mikal Bridges trades and others, the Nets have a minimum of 10 first-round picks over the next five drafts. If they can land their next face of the franchise in the 2025 or 2026 NBA Draft, Brooklyn will be on its way to building another contender.
9. JOEL EMBIID/ANDRE DRUMMOND
Embiid wasn’t fully healthy and still had a huge first-round series against the Knicks last spring. The Sixers obviously hope to have Embiid healthy and in top form for the 2025 postseason.
If that means resting him at times during the regular season, Andre Drummond’s play will be something to keep an eye on in New York. In Drummond, the Sixers have a great backup for Embiid, and they beat out the Knicks (among other Drummond suitors) to land him.
If the Embiid/Drummond center platoon works and if Paul George is healthy, the Sixers should win a lot of games this year.
10. DAMIAN LILLARD
Since we know what Boston is capable of, I think it’s worth keeping an eye on what happens in Milwaukee. If Damian Lillard is healthy and comfortable, the Bucks could be a very different team from the one that we saw last season.
Lillard was able to train all offseason this summer, as opposed to two summers ago when he was limited due to trade talks. If the Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo pairing is effective, Milwaukee could be a tough out in the Eastern Conference.
